Tire-rolling machine



3 -SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. KENNEDY. TIRE ROLLING MACHINE. No. 403,431. Patented May 14, 1889.

N PETERS, Phewmho n har. Walhmginn. D. C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' J. KENNEDY.

TIRE ROLLING MACHINE.

No. 403,431. Patented May 14, 1889.

u, FETEns Phm-Lilhognphar Waumngmn. uxc.

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WITN ESSES. m I

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 3. v

J. KENNEDY.

TIRE ROLLING MACHINE.

DID/403,431. Patented May 14, 1889..

WITNESSES.

INVENTOR.

- Z QM N. PETERS, PhvmLima nhor, Washington, D (I.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIAN KENNEDY, OF LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIRE-ROLLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,431, dated May 14,1889.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIAN KENNEDY, of Latrobe, in the county oflVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Tire-Rolling Machines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying three sheets of drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine.Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof on the line 0c of Fig.6. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. iis a vertical cross-section on the line 5 z of Figs. 2 and 6. Fig. 5 isa vertical sectional view of a part. Fig. 6 is a plan view of themachine, showing the parts in their proper position when rolling a tire.Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section on the line .2 z of Figs. 2 and 6.Fig. 8 is a vertical crossseotion on the line a u of Fig. 5.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each of the figures.

My improved machine is one of that class which is used to shape and rolltires for railway car-wheels from annular blooms or ingots, the machinecomprising, essentially, two rolls working in conjunction, one on theinner periphery and the other on the outer periphery of the tire, which,as it is rolled between them, increases in annular diameter and isshaped peripherally to the desired form and outline.

My invention relates to a novel construction and arrangement of parts ofsuch machine, whereby its efficiency and rapidity of action areincreased and the tire is more easily placed in and removed from themachine.

In the drawings, 2 represents the driven shaft of the main roll 3, whichoperates on the exterior periphery of the tire 4c, and 5 is the rollwhich operates on the inner periphery thereof. The outer roll, 3, is ashort hollow roll, which is shaped peripherally to conform to thedesired external shape of the tire, and is removably fitted on the shaft2, being held thereto by a key, 6, which passes through elongated slotsin the roll and its shaft. The

roll is supported on the shaft bya peripheral shoulder on the latter atthe base of the key slot, which shoulder fits under and supports aninternally-projecting shoulder on the interior of the roll. Theadvantage of this construction is that the roll is suspended on theshaft and is free to expand thereon at the lower end when heated. (SeeFig. 2.) If the roll should be held rigidly at both ends, the heat ofthe metal bloom, raising the temperature of the roll much more rapidlythan that of its shaft, and therefore elongatingthe roll more than .theshaft, would tend to rupture the shaft or to break the connection of therollretaining devices therewith. By keying and supporting the roll onthe shaft at one end and leaving it free at the other end the heatsimply causes it to expand harmlessly.

The shaft 2 is journaled in suitable stationary bearings, 7, on theframe of the machine, and is driven at the lower end by any suitablepower connections. The internal roll, 5, is peculiarly journaled, itsarrangement forming an important feature of my invention.

There are two horizontal swinging carrier arms or levers, S and 10,which are pivoted at the middle to a vertical post or pivot, 9,which issuitably bolted or otherwise secured to the frame of the machine. (SeeFig. 4.) These carrier-arms are independently rotary on the post 9, andare situated one at the level of the upper neck and the other at thelevel of the lower neck of the roll 5. As shown in Fig. 4, the arm 10 isprovided with an integral hub or sleeve,'10, which encircles the post 9and rests at the bottom on a projecting portion of the frame of themachine, and the lever 8, Figs. 4 and 6, where it encircles the post 9,rests upon the sleeve 10, and is surmounted by the top plate orentablature, 1, of the machine, through which the post 9 passes. Thepost is fixed to the machine by nuts 9' at the ends. The use of the hubor sleeve 10 prevents tipping of the lever 10, which carries andsupports the roll, and the pivoting of the levers S and 10 on a commonaxis gives them steadiness and certainty of action. The inner end of thelower arm,-10, is made annular in form, so as to be adapted to receiveand support a bearing, 11, for the lower neck of the roll 5, Figs. 1, 2,and 4, and the inner end of the upper arm, 8, is provided with a lateralcavity or recess faced with a pin 13 is a strong bar of metal encircledbya tubular collar, 12, which is attached to the end of the plunger 12by a key, 13, Fig. 1. The connection of the arm ,8 with the pin'is'directly above the collar 12, and the cavity at the end of the arm isadapted to embrace the pin 13 directly below the said collar, as shownin Fig. 4. Both arms or levers 8 and 10 are therefore operated throughthe medium of, this pin by means of the rigid plunger, and the use ofthe common connectingpin renders the action of the lever-arms uniform,and preserves their exact parallelism even in case of the exertion ofunequal strain upon them during the operation of the machine in rolling.The link 15, Figs. 1 and 4, is pivotally connected with both the pin 13and the post 9, and is allowed free rotation on the latter by a tubularseparator or collar, 15, which encircles the pin 9 within the bearing ofthe link, and projecting beyond the face of the latter relieves it fromcontact with the nut 9, Fig. 4. The cylinder 14 is preferably adapted tobe rotated horizontally-on central vertical trunnions or pivots, thearrangement of which is shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 6, and which I shallnow describe.

16 16' are brackets which respectively form parts of the top plate orentablature 1 and the frame of the machine, and between these bracketsthe cylinder 14 is journaled on vertical projecting trunnions 17, Fig.3, which fit in suitable bearings in the brackets. These trunnions areon diametrically-opposite sides of the cylinder and are provided withvertical hollow castings 18, having water-passages connected with thefront and rear ends of the cylinder 14, respectively. These castings 18are mounted within vertical frames or standards 19, having suitablejournals at their ends, in which the supply-pipes 20 have a bearing. Thestandards 19 are bolted to the brackets 16, as shown in Figs. 1,3, and6.

While the use of an oscillatory cylinder is for many reasonsadvantageous, it is not essential, since, if desired, a stationarycylinder having a jointed connection with the lever 8 may be employed.The cylinder 14 is preferably provided with a brass lining, 21,whichextends from end to end of the cylinder in a single piece,beingconstructed with its greatest diameter formed in anoutwardly-projecting shoulder 22, Fig. 1, and at the inner end of thelining there is an inwardly-projecting annular shoulder, 23, which fitsneatly around the piston-rod 12.

24 is a cap at the outer end of the cylinder 14. 25 isthe follower orgland at the other end, and from the construction of the lining itfollows that it may be removed from the cylinder in a single piece byremoving the cap 24. The hydraulic pressure exerted in the cylinderduring the operation of the machine is necessarily very considerable,and it is desirable to use precautions against leakage of the water pastthe packings of the piston. To this end, I connect the space between thetwo packingrings b and c of the piston, by small vent-holes or passages01, with the interior of the hollow piston 12. In case any water shouldleak past either packing b or c from either side of the piston, it willpass through these vents intothe piston, and on its escaping at theouter end of the latter the presence of the leak may be promptlydetected and measures taken to remedy it.

26 and 27, Fig. 2, are the edging-rolls,which operate on the edges ofthe tire. The lower roll, 26, is fixed to the end of a rotary shaft, 28,which is supported in suitable bearings, 29 and 30. The bearings 29 atone end of the shaft back of the roll 26 are affixed to ahori- 'zontalsliding frame or carriage, 31, which is mounted on the frame of themachine, and the bearings 30 are fixed to the stationary portion ofthe'machine-frame. The shaft 28 is driven by a pinion, 32, keyed to asleeve, g, which is fitted on the shaft with-a feather and spline andrevolves within the bearing 30, so that the shaft may movelongitudinally with the sliding carriage 31 without disconnection fromthe pinion and sleeve, which are not susceptible of such longitudinalmotion.

The carriage 31 is preferably box-shaped, as shown in the drawings, andis adapted to be moved backward and forward by means of a suitablemotor, consisting, preferably, of a hydraulic cylinder, 33, having apiston, 34, and piston-rod or plunger 35, which is connected at the endwith a portion of the carriage. side of the slides of the carriage, andis connected therewith by bolts, which-pass through lateral horizontalflanges on the cylinder. The

upper edging-roll, 27, Fig. 2, is arranged at the 1 end of the shaft 36,the forward end of which is mounted in bearings 37, and the rear end ofwhich is mounted in bearings 38. The bearings 38 are supported bylateral trunnions 39, which are suitably journaled in projecting wings39' of the carriage 31, so that the shaft 36 and its bearings 38 shallbe oscillatory.

40 are radius bars or levers, which at one extremity are pivotallymounted on the trunnions 39, and at the other end are provided withlateral curved recesses which fit beneath the curved tongues orprojections at the base of the bearings 37, as shown in Fig. 2. The bars40 are upheld by a hydraulic cylinder, 41, having a piston, 42, andlinks 43, which connect the piston with the bars 40. The shaft 36 ismovable and adjustable vertically by the cylinder 41 and its piston, bymeans of The cylinder is situated on the under which the bars 40 may beraised and the shaft 36 thereby raised pivotally on the trunnions 39, aswill be readily understood.

In order to depress the shaft 36, I employ a cylinder, 44, having apiston, 45, the lower end of which is made in form of a section of acylinder, and which fits in a correspondingly-shaped socket on top ofthe bearings 37, so that :s the shaft 3 6 is raised by the cylinder 41there shall be no strain at the connection of the piston 45 with thebearings 37. The rear bearings, 38, of the shaft 36 are adjustablevertically by any suitable adjusting device-such, for example, as theremovable supporting-liners 62 and set-bolts 46, which I have shown inthe drawings, Fig. 2'? These should be so adjusted that at the end ofthe rolling operation, when the tire has assumed its complete form, theroll 27 will be substantially horizontal.

I shall now describe generally the operation of so much of the machineas I have already described.

The tires are made from annular blooms or ingots of metal in the mannerwhich has long been practiced in the art. The roll 5, which operates onthe inside of the tire, is set vertically in the bearings 11, Fig. 2,which are supported at the inner end of the lower arm, 10, as alreadydescribed, and at the beginning of the rolling operation the parts arein the position shown in Fig. 1. The bloom having been properly heatedis placed over and around the roll 5, which, as shown in Fig. 1, is notthen encircled at the top by any bearings that would prevent the easyadjustment of the bloom. *ater-pressnre is now applied to the rear ofthe cylinder 14, so as to project the piston 12, the effect of which isto swing the upper carrier arm or lever, 8, on its pivot 9, thus causingits inner end to advance and to engage the upper neck of the roll 5, asillustrated in Figs. 2, 4, and 6, and causing the pin 13 at the junctureof the piston 12 and lever S to engage the curved end of the lowerlever, 10. Then the further atlvance of the piston 12 will carry bothlevers 8 and 10, with the interposed roll 5, up to the stationary roll3, pressing the bloom between these rolls, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and6. Meanwhile the carriage 31 is caused to advance by means of thecylinder until the roll 26 comes into position beneath the annularbloom, and the roll 27, which has been ele vated by the cylinder 41, isthen depressed upon the bloom by action of the cylinder 44, as beforeexplained. The outer roll, 3, is rctated by the driven shaft 2, and asthe bloom is kept pressed against this roll by the inner roll, 5, theconjoint action of the two rolls upon the bloom reduces the latter andgradually increases its annular diameter, the rolls 26 and 27 meanwhilepressing on the edges of the bloom, reducing them to proper shape andeifacing any incipient fins which may be formed on the edges by therolls 3 and 5. The pressure of these edging-rolls upon the tire isregulated by action of the hydraulic cylinder 44, and as the tireincreases in diameter the rolls 26 and 27 are correspondingly retractedby causing the cylinder 33 and piston 34 to move back the carriage 31.This retraction of the carriage is maintained until the tire has beenreduced by the action of the rolls to its proper diameter and shape. Asthe reduction proceeds, the inner roll, 5, is continually pressedforward toward the periphery of the outer roll, 3, by the piston 12 ofthe hydraulic cylinder 14, which cylinder being oscillatory on itstrunnions, as before explained, permits the free motion of thecarrier-levers.

In order to limit the approach of the rolls 3 and 5, and thus todetermine the exact thickness of the tire desired to be rolled, I employan adjustable stop, 47, Figs. 1 and 6, swiveled at the end of a screw,48, which is mounted within a nut, 49, set in a laterally-projectingbracket, 50, of the machine-frame. When the ti re has been rolled to itsfinished shape, the roll 5 is retracted from contact therewith byretracting the piston 12 of the cylinder 14, thus disengaging the arm 8from the upper nccr of the roll 5. The arm 10 can then be drawn back byany suitable means into the posit-ion shown in Fig. 1, where its furtherretraction is prevented by its engagement with a stop on themachine-frame. The upper edging-roll, 27, is then elevated by means ofthe cylinder 41 and piston 42, thus leaving the tire free to be removedfrom the machine by a crane or other suitable lifting device.

I shall now describe the construction of certain auxiliary parts of themachine.

At each side of the roll 3 are two vertical guide-rolls, 51, Figs. 1 and6, which operate on the outer periphery of the tire. These are journaledin frames 52, which are pivoted on posts 53, and are connected by rods54 with the piston 55 of a double hydraulic cylinder, 56. This cylinderconsists of two parts, 56 and 56, having a piston-head at each end, theconnecting-rods 54 being connected with a cross-head which passesthrough lateral slots in the cylinder and through a slot in the piston,in which it is keyed. There is a waterinlet at the rear end of thedouble cylinder, by meansof which the piston may be pushed forwa rh soas to turn the frames 52 on their pivots 53 and to advance theguide-rolls 51 into contact with the tire-bloom, and there is a secondwater-inlet at the other end of the cylinder, by means of which thepiston may be retracted, so as to withdraw the guiderolls from thebloom. (See Figs. 1, 3, and 6.) These guide-rolls act in the same mannerand serve the same function as the similarlyplaccd guide-rollsheretofore used in tire-rolling machines. The mechanism by which theyare operated is, however, new and forms part of my invention.

Another partof the apparatus which is useful in the formation of thetires consists of guiderollers 57, Figs. 1 and 4, which are journaledThe details of construction of the machine will be sufficientlyunderstood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with thedrawings, which, for the purpose of making my invention clear to thoseskilled in the art, have been drawn to a'proper scale, illustrating theproportions and arrangements of parts which I deem to be most desirable.

The construction of the frame of the ma chine is clearly illustrated inthe drawings. At the front of the machine (see Fig. 2) the frame issupported by transverse beams and bolts 59 and 60, is suitably-bracedand flanged to give it strength, and is providedwith pro; jectingportions or brackets for the support of the cylinders 56 and 14. Thecarriage 31 travels on slideways a, formed on the inner sides ofhorizontally and. longitudinally projecting portions of themachine-frame, Figs. 2, 4, and 7, and is held thereon by removableplates f. The slideways are faced with plates 31, which take up thefrictional wear occasioned by motion of the carriage, and may be renewedwhen worn out. The top plate or entablature 1, Fig. 6, of the machine,which. forms a support and bearings for the upperwhich forms the bearingfor the upper portion of the shaft of the vertical roll 3, rests in aseat on this top plate. (See Fig. 2.)

In Figs. 5 and 8 I illustrate a useful device for preventing theaccumulation of scale on the roll 5 during the operation of setting thebloom over the roll. It consists of an internally-ribbed cap, 61,preferably of conical form, which is adapted to be set upon the neck ofthe roll and to be easily removed therefrom. This cap is set on the rollduring the act of placing the tire, and when the tire is adjusted inproper position the cap is removed, so as to allow the end of the lever8 to tates the setting and removing of the tire. It also enables theroll 5 to be removed with very little labor, all that is necessary beingto draw back the arm 8, constituting the upper bearing of the roll, andthen to lift the roll from its lower bearing and to replace it withanother roll. This facility of removing and replacing the roll enablesme conveniently to perform the roughing operation on the tire by meansof-one set of rolls, and to replace the inner roll with another roll forthe finishing operation with such rapidity that reheating of the tire isunnecessary. The advantages of the other features of the invention willbe apparent in the use of the machine,'and need no detailed mention.

I do not desire to limit myself strictly to the construction of theparts which I have shown and described as being preferable in theoperation of the machine, since they may be modified to suit the needsof the particular class of work to which the machine is intended to beapplied. This is especially so with regard to the arrangement of thebearings of the inner roll, 5, since, instead of employingpivotally-movable carriers or bearings for the roll 5, these carriersmay be arable carrier by which one neck of the inner roll is supported,a second carrier which engages the roll at the opposite end, saidlastnamed carrier being retractible from the roll to permit placing andremoval of, the tire, and a power-engine which moves the carriers withthe roll for the purpose of reducing the tire, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

2. In a tire-rolling machine, the combinacarrier-lever, substantially asand for the purposes described.

3. In a tire-rolling machine, the combination, with the inner and outerrolls, of a swinging carrier-lever by which one neck ofthe inner roll issupported, a second swinging carrier-lever which is adapted to engageand apply pressure to the other neck of the roll, and an oscillatinghydraulic cylinder whose plunger is connected with said last-namedlever, substantially as and for the purposes described,

4. In a tire-rolling machine, the combination, with the inner and outerrolls, of a swinging carrier-lever by which one neck of the inner rollis supported, a second swinging carrier-lever which is adapted to engageand apply pressure to the other neck of the roll, a hydraulic cylinderwhose plunger is connected with said last-named lever, and an adjustablestop for limiting the motion of the lever, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

5. In a tire-rolling machine, the combination, with the inner and outerformative rolls, of outer guide-rolls, 51, mounted 011 oscillatory orpivoted frames, and a hydraulic cylinder the plunger of which isconnected with both said frames and is adapted to impart simultaneousand equal motion thereto, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

6. The combination of the swinging carrierlevers 8 and 10, having acommon axis of motion, a pin, 13, on which both said levers have abearing, and a power-enginesuch as a hydraulic motor-which is connectedwith the pin between the ends of the levers, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

7. The combination, with the swinging carrier-levers 8 and 10, of thepost ),which forms their center of motion, a hub or extended bearing onthe lever 10, which encircles the post, and mechanism for operating saidcarrier-levers, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. The combination of the swinging carrierlevers 8 and 10, having acommon center of motion, a pin, 13, on which both said levers have abearing, a power-engine-such as a hydraulic motorwhich is connected withthe pin between the ends of the levers, and a radius-bar, 15, connectingthe pin 13 with the center of motion of the levers, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

9.The combination of the roll, the swinging carrier-lever 10, having abearing in which the lower neck of the roll is removably supported, theupper carrier-lever, 8, which engages and supports the said rolllaterally, a power engine-such as a hydraulic cylinder-and its plunger,and a pin by which the plunger of the said cylinder is connected withthe carrier-lever 8, and which is situated relatively to the lever 10,so as to engage and move the same forward, together with the lever 8,substantially as and for the purposes described.

10. In atire-rolling machine, cdging-rolls such as the rolls 26 and27and their shafts, in combination with oscillatory bearings whichsupport one of said shafts at a point remote from its roll, andvertically-movable bearings which support the same adjacent to the roll,substantially as and for the purposes described.

1]. A tire-rolling machine having edgingrolls, the shaft of one of whichis supported at a point remote from the roll in verticallyadjustableoscillatory bearings and has vertically-movable and oscillatory bearingsadjacent to the roll, substantially as and for the purposes described.

12. A tire-rolling machine having edgingrolls, the shaft of one of whichis supported at a point remote from the roll in oscillatory bearings andhas verticallymovable bearings adjacent to the roll, and a motivecylinder having a plunger connected with the vertically-movable bearingsby a rounded connection or joint, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

13. In a tire-rolling machine, edging-rolls such as the rolls 26 and27and their shafts, in combination with oscillatory bearings whichsupport one'of said shafts at a point remote from its roll,vertically-movable bearings which support the same adjacent to the roll,a lever or levers connecting the said oscillatory bearings with thevertically-movable bearings, and a motive cylinder by which the lever orlevers are moved to elevate the said movable bearings and the roll,substantially as and for the purposes described.

14. The hollow roll 3, one end of which is keyed to its shaft and isheld by a shoulder thereon, while the other end is unrestrained and isfree to expand when heated, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

15. In a tire-rolling machine, the combination, with the innerforming-roll having removable bearings to permit placing of thetire-bloom, of a hood or cap adapted to beset on the roll during theplacing of the said bloom to protect the journal of the roll from scale,substantially as and for the purposes described.

16. In a tire-rolling machine, a vertical forming-roll having radiallyand horizontally movable bearings by which it is carried and a powermotor which applies pressure to move said bearings, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

17. In a tire-rolling machine, an inner vertical forming-roll havingbearings at both ends thereof, the bearings at the upper end beinglaterally removable to permit placing and withdrawal of the tire,substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day ofOctober, A. D. 1888.

JULIAN KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

W. B. CoRwnN, H. L. GILL.

ICC

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